It is increasingly desirable to conserve water use in a domestic environment, such as water use or shower and bathroom washing operations. There is a wide variety of water control valves, particularly for controlling the flow of water through a water shower valve, which is typically disposed between a water supply pipe and the shower head of a bathroom shower, which are directed to the conservation of water, such as by limiting the flow rate of water through the valve. Other water control shower valves are designed to limit the time of water flow, alone or in conjunction with limiting the amount of water flow. Such water control shower valves may be operated mechanically or by tension-wound springs, or by operation of electrical motors or solenoids.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,230,155, issued Oct. 28, 1980, directed to a water control valve includes an actuator shaltable between an on and off position, spring-biased toward the off position. The shower valve is constructed to provide or an initial actuation of the valve to allow or water to flow therethrough for a predetermined time period and then the valve automatically terminates the flow of shower water for a predetermined time period during which the person taking the shower cannot continue the washing operation after the time interval has been completed. The person taking the shower again actuates the water control valve to cause water to flow through the water control valve for a second time flow period in which-the person may rinse.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,345,621, issued Aug. 24, 1982, is directed to a timed shower head valve conserving water used in a shower, which valve structure provides a timed cycle allowing water flow for a preset time period, wherein the system includes a rotating ball on a valve chamber, with the ball being grooved and ported to control the flow of water with the rotation of the ball controlled by a manually set spring operated timer, which is wound to set the correct time.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,867,189 issued Sep. 19, 1989, and its divisional patent, 4,921,209 issued May 1, 1990, are directed to a shower water control valve wherein the length of time a person can use a shower is controlled by a pair of timers in the solenoid operated valve, wherein a first timer controls the length of time water flows through the shower and another timer prevents the solenoids being energized for a predetermined time period after the first timer has turned the water off, thus preventing the shower from being turned on again until the designated time period has elapsed. The water control valve requires a valve body and first and second solenoids, which solenoids are generally positioned at opposite ends or coaxially with a longitudinal axis of the valve body, which are actuated by a dry cell battery.
It is desirable to provide for a new and improved water control valve, system and method, particularly for a shower, which control valve may be easily and effectively mechanically operated by a user and which control valve provides for a desirable water flow for a preselected time period, and yet permits the bather to interrupt the water flow during operation, and then on completion of the water flow time period then prevents the user from actuating the water control valve for a preselected time period.